The present invention relates to solar cells. In particular, the invention relates to the use of low work-function metals as electrodes for amorphous silicon solar cells.
Amorphous silicon solar cells have been described heretofore in a number of U.S. patents. In particular, such cells have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,521 entitled SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING A BODY OF AMORPHOUS SILICON which issued to D. E. Carlson on Dec. 20, 1977; U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,150 entitled PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE HAVING INCREASED ABSORPTION EFFICIENCY which issued to A. E. Bell et al. on Nov. 21, 1978; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,148 entitled COMPENSATED AMORPHOUS SILICON SOLAR CELL which issued to D. E. Carlson on Aug. 12, 1980. Each of the aforementioned patents is incorporated herein by reference as background for the manner in which an amorphous silicon solar cell of the type described herein is made and used.
In amorphous silicon solar cells of the type heretofore described, an open circuit voltage of about 0.80 volts is typically observed under AM1 light conditions. It would be desirable to increase the value of the open circuit voltage of such solar cells, if that could be done without affecting either their short circuit current or their fill factors.